


Bumbleby one-shots

by AyePatch



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Abuse, More tags will be added as I add more works, So a lot of these will aim to fix that, There aren't enough bee fics from Yang's perspective, There'll definitely be some from Blake's perspective tho, chapter specific warnings at the top of each chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25654243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyePatch/pseuds/AyePatch
Summary: A collection of various Bumbleby one-shots.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 40
Kudos: 134





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake reflects on the events in the cafeteria and on how a certain teammate handled the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Volume 1, between episodes 11 and 12.
> 
> Chapter warnings: Anti-Faunus racism, references to past abuse.

Blake was laying down on her bed, enjoying her free time between classes. Or, trying to, at least. The events during lunch kept replaying in her mind, watching as Cardin and his goons tortured poor Velvet.

It seemed that all of her friends had been on Velvet's side. Weiss had seemed neutral at best, but then, she barely counted Weiss as a friend, if at all. But were they _with_ Velvet, or just _against_ Cardin? None of them had stepped in to do anything, although admittedly Blake hadn't either, and they'd all merely expressed a disgust for bullying in general. None of them had acknowledged that this was racially motivated--that Cardin only did this because Velvet was a faunus. Well… except for one of them.

Blake's thoughts kept coming back to Yang, and her statement on the matter. "It must be hard to be a Faunus." Just a few words, but she'd managed to say so much with them. She was the only person there to acknowledge _why_ this happened. To pin the blame on Cardin being _racist_ , not just him being mean. The sad, almost _regretful_ tone with which she'd spoken. As if, with that single line, she was trying to apologize for the centuries of pain and suffering her race had inflicted upon the Faunus. _It's going to take more than that to undo centuries of oppression, Yang, but I'm glad you're trying to do your part. I'm… glad you're on my side._

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Aah!" Blake jumped out of her introspection to see Yang hanging upside-down from the top bunk, her golden hair dangling down towards the floor like a curtain. Her beaming smile quickly faded to a look of soft concern.

"Blake?" She asked, dropping down to the floor so that she was more level with her. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Blake sighed. "Just… thinking about what happened at lunch."

"With Velvet and Cardin? Yeah, I feel awful." She sat down next to Blake and hung her head. "Nobody should have to go through that. And I just…" Her hands balled into fists and her shoulders tensed. "Let it happen! I just sat there and _watched_ , when I should have stepped up and _done_ something to stop it! I mean, isn't that what being a Huntress is all about? Helping people in need? Not being a bystander?"

"Yang…" Blake said softly. "Don't be so hard on yourself. There was an entire cafeteria watching. There were others there who could have intervened." _Like me…_

"That doesn't make what _I_ did right," Yang replied firmly. "I can't control the other people in the cafeteria. I can only control myself. And _I_ should have stepped up."

"You seem to care about this a lot," Blake said.

"Should I _not_?" Yang snapped back, eyes flashing red. 

Blake had never seen Yang direct genuine anger at her before. She felt herself tensing up, and she closed her eyes. _Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. It's okay. Yang isn't him. She wouldn't hurt me… I think? Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out._ She opened her eyes to see Yang looking at her. Her expression had softened, and there was a clear concern in her eyes, but also a cautiousness that Blake knew she needed to address. "Of course you should, Yang," she said. She saw Yang's expression soften further. "It's just… not every day you see another human so concerned with the plight of the Faunus. I mean, look at Weiss. Or Cardin, for that matter."

Yang sighed. "Yeah. It's awful that there's still so many humans who just… don't care about the suffering of other people. And that's not even including the ones who willfully cause it." She looked up into Blake's eyes, and Blake could clearly see the regret in the lilac before her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. That wasn't okay of me."

 _No, it's not your fault. I deserved it. I said something stupid, and I made you angry. It's my fault, and I deserve to get yelled at for it_. "No, it's my fault. I… I should have phrased that better." _Please don't hurt me._

"Blake," Yang said softly. She reached out and Blake instinctively flinched away, before quickly remembering that she was supposed to graciously accept whatever was given to her. Especially if it was the punishment she deserved. She quietly braced herself for the strike.

"Blake?" Blake looked up obediently to see Yang sitting there respectfully. She'd pulled her hand away and set it down at her side, and the only expression Blake could see on her face was concern. "Do you want to talk about what's wrong?"

Blake shook her head, feeling a lump form in her throat and not trusting herself with words. _And now I've made you feel bad. Over something that's my fault. Gods, how awful of a friend am I?_ She felt herself losing her battle with tears, and fear began to grip at her heart. He hated when she cried. It made her weak. Undeserving of him. _But that's what I am. Weak. A coward. Pathetic. A burden._ She curled up on herself as she began to sob. _I can't be strong. I'll never be good enough for anybody. I was_ **_lucky_ ** _that he put up with me._

"Blake," she heard Yang say, distantly. "Do you need a hug?"

 _Yes! Yes I need a hug! I need it so much!_ She shook her head. _But I don't deserve it. And I can't take what I don't deserve._

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Yang's voice sounded so far off. Almost inaudible. 

**_I can't do this anymore_**. Blake caved and threw herself against Yang, clinging to her like the desperate, needy, selfish girl he'd always said she was. Always taking things she didn't deserve, because she was too weak to survive without them. She felt strong arms wrap around her and hold her close. She hated being so vulnerable around someone she'd only just met. Taking so much from somebody that was far, far too good for her. Being so selfish. Being so needy. Being so weak. Her sobs must have been loud enough to hear from the hall, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't hold them in anymore. She felt herself being gently rocked from side to side, heard Yang's soft voice gently cooing at her. She wasn't sure what she was saying, but it was comforting. Reassuring. So much more than she deserved, but it felt so _good_. Blake couldn't make herself reject it.

_Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. I'm okay._ _I'm safe._

_Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. Yang is good to me._ _Too good._

_Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out. I'm okay._

_Breathe in. Hold it. Breathe out._

_I'm not okay._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a cold Atlesian night, Yang wakes up to find that Blake needs to get a few things off her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place during Volume 7, sometime around Episode 5
> 
> Chapter warnings: References to past abuse, mention of suicidal thoughts

Yang groggily awoke as she felt her bed shifting from somebody climbing into it. Half on instinct, she raised her arm to allow Blake to crawl under the sheets, “What’s wrong, Blake?” she mumbled softly.

“Oh,” Blake replied with an almost surprised tone as she froze, only halfway in the covers. “Nothing. I…” She glanced away and her cat ears flattened nervously. “I’m actually feeling really good right now. I just thought…”

Yang raised her arm again and motioned for Blake to snuggle up. Blake’s ears perked up and she happily obliged, wiggling up against Yang until their bodies pressed firmly together.

“Thanks,” Blake said softly.

“What were you going to say?” Yang asked, wrapping her arm around Blake and squeezing her.

“I just…” Even in the dim light, Yang could see the blush on Blake’s cheeks. “I thought it might, y’know, be nice if, for once, we could snuggle up when nothing was wrong?”

Yang smiled, closing her eyes again contentedly. “You’re right,” she murmured. “It is.”

“How… how awake are you?” Blake asked hesitantly.

“I can hold a conversation if you’re feeling chatty,” Yang replied without opening her eyes. She felt Blake sigh contentedly against her.

“It’s just… been a long, long time since I’ve felt this happy,” Blake confessed. “I’m… honestly not sure if I remember _ever_ feeling this way before, even before Adam…”

“Things have been going right, for a change,” Yang commented.

“Yeah, but… it’s more than that.” Yang opened her eyes to see Blake looking down nervously, her cat ears pinned flat against her head. “I… I still don’t think I’m ready to really talk about… about _us,_ yet,” Blake admitted, “but I want you to know that I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I still remember my very first night at Beacon, looking up from my book to see a _very_ good looking girl marching up to me, dragging her sister along with her. That was the night that my life really started to turn around.”

Yang chuckled. “Yeah, I’m sorry for calling you a lost cause.”

Blake smiled, tucking a lock of Yang’s hair behind her ear. “You may have said that, but you never actually treated me like one. I… when we met in the Emerald Forest, it wasn’t an accident. I wanted to make sure that I’d wind up with someone who wouldn’t hurt me, so I had a few people I was planning on spying on. I don’t know why I decided to watch you first, if I somehow knew or if it was just a lucky choice, but when I saw you take down that Ursa… I don’t know. I just had this gut feeling that I couldn’t miss my chance. I picked you without even _looking_ at anyone else.”

Yang ran a finger along Blake’s jaw. “And here I was this whole time, thinking that it was just blind luck that I got the bestest, most amazing partner in the entire world.”

“Flirt,” Blake snorted, though she leaned in to affectionately butt her forehead against Yang’s. She let out a noise that was half-groan, half-giggle. “Gods, Yang, you’re making it really hard to have a nice, sappy moment here.”

Yang laughed. “Hey, as I’ve just been informed, _you’re_ the one who decided to get yourself into this.” Blake laughed and playfully swatted her shoulder. After their mutual mirth died down, Yang rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. “Do you ever regret it?” She saw Blake’s ears pin nervously in the corner of her eye.

“Why… why would I regret it?” Blake asked, suddenly worried.

Yang sighed. “I’ve told you how people in my life tend not to stick around. My mother. Raven. My dad too, in a way. Hell, even my Signal friends all ditched me by the second week of Beacon. Having people actually stay is pretty new for me. You, Weiss, Jaune, Nora, Ren… I’ve never been friends with the same people for this long before. Sometimes, it still doesn’t quite feel real. Like, there has to be some kind of catch, if that makes sense?”

Blake sighed. “Yeah. I know exactly what you mean. But, for what it’s worth, I haven’t regretted choosing you for a minute. At least, not for my sake.” She hung her head in shame. “What I’ve done to you, on the other hand…”

“Hey,” Yang said softly, gently guiding Blake’s chin back up with her finger. “We’re past that now. You made mistakes, yes, but you’ve more than made up for them. And if I had the choice to go back and change the past so that I never met you, knowing full well all the good, _and_ bad things that have happened to me since then, I wouldn’t. And it would be the easiest choice I’ve ever made. My semblance may make my hair glow,” she said with a soft smile, “But you’re still the brightest light in my life, Blake.”

Blake groaned and buried her face in Yang’s shoulder. “Ugh, that’s so sappy, my hands are getting sticky just _thinking_ about it.”

Yang narrowed her eyes teasingly. "Hey, weren't you _just_ talking about wanting a 'nice, sappy moment'?"

"Well, yeah, but I wanted to be the one thanking _you_."

"Too bad. You’ve done too much for me to let this be a one-sided conversation.”

Yang felt Blake’s weight shift in the bed as she rolled over on her back as well. “Yang, I…” Blake began, and something in her tone told Yang that it was time to stay quiet. “I know you don’t feel like I owe you anything,” Blake continued quietly, “but _I_ do. And it’s been like this big knot of anxiety that’s been building and building, and every time I try to release it, to _thank_ you, you just tell me not to worry about it. But that just slows it down. It doesn’t stop it. And it doesn’t make it go away.” She turned to Yang, and even in the dim light, the blonde could see the pleading in her partner’s amber eyes. “So please, just this once, can you stop being humble, and actually act like you’re _proud_ of what you’ve done for me?”

Yang wanted to protest, to tell Blake that she thanked her every day just by being around, but she knew that wasn’t what she needed to do right now. She needed to listen. She gave Blake a comforting smile. “Okay.”

“After Adam, what I _wanted_ from a partner, and what I _needed_ from one, were two very different things. I _wanted_ someone who would sweep me off my feet, someone who would take charge and lead me to new, exciting places. But I _needed_ someone who would let me breathe, let me feel in control. I _wanted_ to follow _your_ lead, but I _needed_ you to follow _mine_. And you gave me both. Exactly when I needed it. Most of the time, at least. More than anyone else had before, or has since. Even at my lowest point, the night before the dance, when you dragged me to that lecture hall and tried to get me to relax, you didn't _make_ me. You didn't demand an answer, and you didn't need it to be what you wanted. You made your point, said what you wanted to say, and left me to make my own call. That was so _new_ to me. Being _allowed_ to disagree with someone I care about. It… after you hugged me, when you let go, it felt like you took a weight off of me that I didn't even know I was carrying.

“Since that day in the Emerald Forest, you've taught me what it feels like to be loved. _Truly_ loved. And you've helped me fix so many of the parts of me that he broke. Helped me re-learn all the lessons I thought I knew but didn't. In that sense, I could almost say you've been a mentor to me, but that would be wrong. Because you've never been above me. Never held authority over me. Never allowed me to put you on a pedestal like I did with him. Since the day we met, we've been equals, and even my worst mistake didn't change that.”

Blake’s voice started to shake, and her eyes glistened with tears as she continued. “And I _know_ that I’ve apologized for leaving you a hundred times, but I’ll apologize for it a thousand more, because I _still_ feel bad for it, and I always will. There will _always_ be days when all I can think about is how much I regret hurting you. How much I regret the time we lost together. Time that we can never get back. While I was in Menagerie, I thought that there was a good chance that you’d hate me forever. A part of me wanted you to. But another part of me _desperately_ wanted you to take me back, even if I felt like I didn’t deserve it. _And you took me back_. Even after everything I did wrong, all of my mistakes, you still saw me for the _good_ I had done! The good I could still do! And you never let me forget that, never let me lose that side of myself again, even when you were still hurting.”

Tears began to roll down Blake’s cheeks, and Yang reached out, pulling her partner into a tight, comforting embrace. Blake buried her face against Yang’s shoulder for a moment, before pulling away just enough to press their foreheads against each other and look directly into Yang’s eyes, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “And you saved my life. Not just at the fall of Beacon, when you threw yourself at Adam to save me. Not just in Argus when you helped me fight off and finally kill the worst monster I’ve ever faced. And not just all the countless other times you’ve had my back in a fight. I…” She choked out a sob. “There were times when you were all that kept me going. After Beacon fell, when my new life was in shambles and I had no idea if I would ever even have a home again, I knew I still had to keep fighting. Not just because I wanted more than anything in the world to see you again. But because _you_ taught me that _I_ was worth surviving for. That, no matter how low I may have thought of myself, no matter how many mistakes I made, _my_ life was worth defending. If it weren’t for you, and everything you taught me…” She buried her face against Yang’s shoulder and her shoulders began to shake. “If the Grimm or Adam hadn’t finished the job… I would have done it myself.”

“Blake…” Yang felt her heart break in two, and she held Blake as tightly as she could, half to comfort her sobbing partner, and half to reassure herself that she was still there. She felt tears start to run down her own cheeks, and _Blake_ , who was _sobbing_ , who was in _far_ worse shape than her, _Blake_ pulled away and reached up to wipe the tears from _Yang’s_ eyes.

“Hey,” Blake managed to say as her sobs finally began to calm down. “I made a promise to you, and I’m _going to_ keep it. I’m not going _anywhere_ without you, no matter what. And… whatever happens, I’ll keep fighting. And not just for the people I care about this time, but for _myself_ , too.” Yang managed a small smile, and Blake sniffed, wiping her face on her sleeve before continuing. 

“When I started at Beacon, I was just a scared, broken girl that wanted to fix everything that was wrong with the world, but didn’t know what I needed to do. And I still don’t know what I need to do. But I _do_ know that, _whatever_ I do, I want to do it with you. And I…” She trailed off. She still wasn't ready to say it out loud--wasn't ready to hear it, either, but that didn't mean she couldn't still tell Yang how she felt. Locking amber eyes with lilac, Blake slowly, deliberately squeezed her eyes shut, before opening them again. _I love you, Yang_.

And Yang may not have been a cat Faunus herself, but she'd picked up on Blake's particular love language rather quickly in their time together, and she answered without hesitation, slowly squeezing own her eyes shut and opening them again, as well.

_I love you, too._


	3. Coming Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang is still struggling to come to terms with her newfound romantic and sexual identity. Blake is more than happy to help.
> 
> Set shortly after the end of Volume 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I write this as a way to explain why Yang makes that one comment about boys in "The Shining Beacon, Pt. 2" and then never shows any interest whatsoever in the opposite sex again for the rest of the series? Yes.
> 
> Did I also write this as a way to project my own personal coming out process onto Yang as a way to cope and process my feelings? Also yes.
> 
> No warnings for this chapter

It had been a few days since Roman and the White Fang had attacked Vale from the Mountain Glenn tunnels, and things at Beacon were finally regaining some sense of normalcy. But for Yang Xiao Long, things hadn't felt "normal" for quite some time, and she had something she needed to get off of her chest. When Ruby and Weiss had taken off for a trip into Vale, leaving her alone with her best friend and partner, Yang decided to take the opportunity.

"Blake, there's something I need to talk to you about," she said, sliding down from her bunk and landing next to the raven-haired girl, who looked up from the book she was reading. "Well, it doesn't _have_ to be you specifically," Yang clarified nervously, "but I need to talk to someone and I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with anyone else."

"Of course, Yang," Blake said warmly, setting aside her book as she sat up and patted the side of the bed next to her invitingly. "What is it?"

Yang sat down next to her and forced herself to lock eyes with her partner. "I… I think I might be a lesbian," she admitted timidly.

"Okay," Blake said with a comforting smile.

Yang waited for a moment to see if Blake would say anything else, but the Faunus girl simply sat patiently, still smiling warmly. Yang decided to continue. "Back at Signal, I never actually fell for any guys. There were some who were nice, and I definitely liked them, but not, you know, _like_ liked. But at the time, I didn't really understand that. They'd ask me out and I'd say yes, because, well, I liked them, and if someone you like asks you out on a date you say yes. I didn't really get that there was supposed to be a difference between liking a guy and _liking_ a guy. But, whenever things started to go further, it always made me really uncomfortable. After the third time I broke up with a guy after our first kiss, I started to get a reputation as a heartbreaker."

Blake's already gentle gaze softened as Yang looked helplessly down at her feet, and the blonde felt a reassuring hand rest on her shoulder, encouraging her to go on. "I… I didn't understand what was wrong with me. I knew I wanted a steady partner, but I couldn't even get past first base! And it was always _me_ who broke things off. I'd see my female friends hooking up with guys and I'd get jealous of them, and at the time I just thought I was jealous because they got to have someone who made them happy and I didn't. And maybe that was part of it, but, looking back, it's pretty obvious that I had crushes on at least a few of them. I knew that being a lesbian was a thing, and I knew of a few same-sex couples at Signal, but it wasn't like there were a lot of them. Especially compared to all the straight couples. And I know now that there were probably plenty of gay people there who either weren't out or didn't have a partner, but at the time I didn't know that. It wasn't something I ever talked to people about, you know? I just figured that I _couldn't_ be a lesbian. That it was just such an uncommon thing that it was way more likely that I just hadn't found the right guy. Does that make any sense?"

Yang looked back up at Blake, who nodded silently, seemingly content to simply listen until Yang was done. Yang wasn't going to complain. "I guess that's part of why I was so excited to come to Beacon. There'd be all sorts of new boys here, and maybe I'd finally find the one I was looking for! I still remember my very first night at Beacon, sleeping in the ballroom. I told Ruby how excited I was to be around all those boys but…" she grimaced, and felt the hand on her shoulder give a gentle squeeze. "Gods, it feels weird to even _think_ about saying that now. I don't really know what happened that made me start to realize what was really going on--" That was a lie. She knew _exactly_ what had happened. Or, more specifically, _who_ had happened. And she was sitting right next to her, smiling at her with a tenderness that made her heart glow. "--but eventually it all started to click into place. It wasn't this big epiphany though. More like a bunch of little ones. I'd catch myself staring at cute girls in class. A guy would flirt with me and I'd suddenly feel really uncomfortable. I'd see a pretty girl walking down the hall and realize that I was just a _little_ too fascinated with how she looked for it to be completely innocent."

She sighed, finally getting to the crux of what had been bothering her for months. "The thing is though, I'm still not completely sure what I am. I know I like girls--I figured that out pretty quickly--but I still don't know if I might still like guys under the right circumstances, or if I'm just not interested in them at all. I'm pretty sure it's the latter, but once in a while I'll see a guy and think, 'oh, he's cute.' Never more than that, but I promised myself I wouldn't ignore those sorts of feelings anymore. But then, weeks will go by and nothing like it will happen again, and I can't help but wonder if I might just still be misreading things the same way I did back at Signal." She looked back up at Blake, and she might have been imagining it, but her partner seemed to have moved ever so slightly closer while she had been looking away.

"It's… actually kind of funny that you'd come to me about this, Yang," Blake said softly.

"Why's that?"

"Because I actually have some experience with this." Yang tried to force down the cocktail of emotions that formed at the implications of _that_ sentence. She didn't need her crush on her partner complicating things right now. "I haven't told anyone about it, not even Sun," Blake continued, "but… I'm bisexual. Well, I guess _technically_ I'd be pan," she clarified with a shrug as she briefly broke eye contact, "but I prefer to call myself bi." She looked back up at Yang, and now she _did_ scoot closer, enough for the rest of the room to fade away in Yang's mind, leaving only the two of them as the dip in the mattress lightly brushed their thighs together. "The thing you need to understand is, these labels aren't perfect. There are as many sexualities as there are people. Yes, they might broadly fall into a few different categories, but no two people's attractions are exactly alike. I _can_ feel an attraction to people who identify as something other than male or female, but for me, it's not something that comes up very often. So I prefer to just say that I'm bi, and deal with other attractions if and when they come up."

"So, you think I should call myself a lesbian and handle my feelings for guys on a case-by-case basis?" Yang asked, trying to swallow her heart out of her throat and back down where it belonged. She hated how her stomach filled with butterflies at even the slightest touch from her partner, but somehow, Blake was still managing to comfort and calm her in spite of it.

"I think you should call yourself whatever feels best." Blake smiled softly.

"Then I think… I think that would be it." Yang nodded as she spoke, as much to herself as to Blake. "If I ever _do_ get a real crush on a guy, then I can always change it, right?"

"Exactly!"

"Well then," Yang straightened her back and proudly locked eyes with Blake. "Blake Belladonna, I am a lesbian!" Her entire body relaxed, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. " _Gods,_ that felt _so_ good to say!"

Blake giggled. "Congratulations!"

Yang couldn't help but giggle too. "You say that like it's some sort of big accomplishment or something!" She laughed.

Blake's smile somehow managed to be serious and joyful and loving, all at the same time. "Yang, finding out something new about yourself is _always_ a big accomplishment."

"Yeah," Yang said, nodding as the words sank in. "Yeah, I guess it is!"


	4. Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR VOLUME 8 CHAPTER 1 AHEAD
> 
> They haven't even been apart for very long, but Yang's already started to struggle with separation anxiety. Of course, the way she and Blake parted isn't helping, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VOLUME 8 SPOILERS AHEAD
> 
> Set sometime between the end of episode 1 and whenever the teams reunite.
> 
> No warnings for this chapter

Yang sat down heavily on a bench and unrolled her scroll. Around her, she heard the bustle of the Mantle citizens all crowding into the slums of the Atlas crater, but at the moment her mind was only focused on a single regret.

She unrolled her scroll and pulled up one of the selfies she'd taken with Blake back when Ironwood had granted them their licenses. She saw Blake's broad smile, the joy in her eyes, and she felt her throat tighten dangerously. Things had been so much simpler then. So much easier. And she and Blake had been the best they'd ever been.

And now Yang had left her without even saying goodbye.

She'd fucked up.

"Something's bothering you."

Yang looked up from her scroll at the sound of Jaune's voice. It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and it wasn't wrong.

"It's stupid," Yang sighed, rolling up her scroll. "I'll be fine."

Jaune shook his head. "Try me."

"I'll be _fine_ ," Yang insisted warningly.

Jaune sighed and sat down next to her. "You know, back at Beacon, the night before the fall… Pyrrha was out of it. At the time, I didn't understand why. She told me that she felt like she was destined to become a huntress, and to save the world, but that something had happened and she couldn't do both. Now I realize what she was talking about, but back then… I had no idea. She refused to explain what was going on, and because of that, I couldn't help her. And she tore herself apart." Yang looked up to see tears silently falling from Jaune's eyes. "And dammit, I am _not_ going to let another one of my friends do the same thing."

Yang sighed. "It's selfish. We're on the brink of war, on the run from the largest military in Remnant, and Salem is _here_ … but that's not what feels the most important to me."

"You're worried about Blake," Jaune stated.

"Like I said," Yang muttered, "It's dumb and it's selfish."

"I disagree." 

Yang looked back up at Jaune in shock. "What?"

"I disagree," Jaune repeated. "Yang, when Pyrrha sent me away so that she could fight Cinder alone, all I cared about was her. I didn't care that Beacon was falling, that Vale was overrun with Grimm… _She_ was all that mattered." Jaune gave her a reassuring smile. "Love is a powerful thing, and _you_ feel it as strongly as anyone I've ever known. So it's no wonder that Blake's on your mind right now."

"I don't--"

Jaune cut her off with a low chuckle. "Don't even try to deny it. I've been around Ren and Nora long enough to know pining when I see it. And I don't think it's right to criticize yourself for this. We're all caught up in 'saving the world,' but it's easy to forget that we wouldn't have even graduated Beacon yet! We all decided to put our lives on hold… to risk not even finishing them at all, when we weren't even licensed Huntspeople yet! We're _allowed_ to care about our own feelings from time to time. It's not _our_ fault the world's this fucked up."

Yang sighed, her shoulders slumping. "You're right," she admitted after a while. "I'm… I'm in love with Blake. I love her so much it _hurts!_ But I'm… scared. I was a jerk to Ruby back at the safehouse, and I wasn't much better to Blake. I… I saw the way she looked at me when I walked out." She felt her eyes begin to sting with tears. "I _hurt_ her! I acted like I was right and anyone who disagreed with me was wrong, and when she did, I just stormed out! I acted like being right meant more to me than she did, after everything she and I have been through, after she _promised_ not to leave my side, _I_ walked out on _her!_ After she worked so hard to start believing in herself again, _I_ refused to believe in her!" She buried her face in her hands as tears began to stream down her face and her shoulders began to shake. "I'm scared of Atlas falling," she sobbed. "I'm scared of Salem winning! But more than any of that, I'm scared that I fucked up. I'm scared that Blake won't want me anymore! And she _shouldn't!_ Because I've been a terrible partner!"

She felt an armored hand grip her shoulder firmly. "Yang," Jaune said slowly. "Blake _loves_ you. Every bit as much as you love her. _Everyone_ knows it, and I think, deep down, you do too. And you _haven't_ been a terrible partner. You've been there for her time and time again, and one mistake isn't going to change that. She's not going to leave you over this."

"But she--"

"It's scary to disagree with the people you care about. It's easy to feel like there's some sort of rift opening up, and it's easy for it to spiral out of control. But she's not just going to give up on you because you see things differently sometimes. You two are good for each other, and as much as you both can be stubborn, you're also both willing to see other sides of issues."

"But I wasn't!" Yang protested, turning to look at him. "When she disagreed with me I just walked out!"

"Because you were stressed," Jaune countered gently. "You're not normally like that, Yang. Sure, you get angry, but you're still willing to hear people out when you calm down. You two jumped to different conclusions, but that doesn't mean you're incompatible. You two _will_ get through this, I'm _sure_ of it."

Yang wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I just hope we can get this all over with quickly so I can see her again," she sniffled. "I _need_ to make things right." She unrolled her scroll and felt a fresh pang of heartache as she saw Blake's smiling face looking up at her from their selfie. A single tear landed on the screen.

"I… I can't do this without her..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: As of V8C4 I can't tell if this aged phenomenally or terribly


	5. Heartache

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang succeeded in getting Blake to come to the Beacon Dance. But now she has to watch as the girl of her dreams, dances with someone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during Volume 2, Episode 7
> 
> No warnings for this chapter, but severe pining and heartache.

Yang watched as Blake danced with Sun, twirling and twisting, her eyes shining and her lips spread in an elated smile. She was _beautiful_ , and Yang couldn't take her eyes off of her.

And _gods_ , did it hurt.

She'd managed to keep a smile on her face long enough for Ruby to wander off, but now that she was alone on the mezzanine, she couldn't fight the heartache any longer. She was happy that Blake was happy, of course. And gods knew she wasn't going to interfere. But she would have given _anything_ to be the one dancing with her instead of Sun. She'd hoped that their one dance would help satisfy her, but it only served to tear a bigger hole in her heart. Now she _knew_ what it was like to be so close to Blake. To breathe in that scent of lavender that felt so much like home. To feel Blake's arm curled around her waist, and their hands intertwined. To gaze into those _stunning_ amber eyes, and see her own joy and elation reflected back. It was utterly addicting, and now, standing on the mezzanine looking down, Yang felt completely empty without it. She heard Blake's laugh drift up from the dance floor, and her breath hitched violently as her heart finally cracked in two. Eyes burning, she quickly made her way outside to the balcony, looking out over the city as her tears began to silently fall. 

She'd had… _feelings_ for Blake ever since the end of the first semester, and those feelings had only grown stronger with time. At this point there could be no denying it; Yang's feelings for Blake went far beyond the bounds of a simple crush. She had fallen deeply, _painfully_ in love with her partner. And who could blame her? Blake was strong, feisty, clever, funny, caring, passionate, fierce, _beautiful_ … _so_ many things that Yang admired. Yang had never known that love could be this powerful. At times, it was wonderful! Blake could turn Yang's day around with nothing more than a smile, and make her roll on the floor with laughter with little more than a raised eyebrow. Blake could bring her _so_ much joy, _so_ effortlessly. But more and more, all love did was hurt. She had been flirting with Blake for weeks now, and Blake had _seemed_ receptive to it! At one point, Yang had even dared to believe that there could be something there, but all that had come crashing down now. Every time Blake smiled at someone that wasn't her, every time Blake chose to spend time without her, every time that she noticed Blake looking at Sun with utter adoration, it felt like an arrow piercing Yang's heart, reminding her that Blake would never feel the same, and it was torture. Yang would have gladly given her right arm for Blake to look at _her_ that way, even just once. But Blake didn't want her. She never had. Blake wanted Sun. And Yang? _Yang_ just wanted the pain to stop.

Why wasn't she enough for her? Why did she have to fall _so hard_ for someone she would never have? Why did she ever let herself believe she had a chance?

Yang tried to choke back a sob, but it tore its way out of her chest anyways. She bent over the railing, burying her face in her hands, fighting tooth and nail to keep herself together, but it took every ounce of strength she had just to keep herself from wailing.

"Yang?" 

She heard a familiar voice call her name out behind her, and Yang hadn't even _realized_ she still had heart left to break until just now, when the final pieces fell apart. _No. No!_ **_Why_ ** _did it have to be_ **_her_** _?!_ **_Why_ ** _did_ **_she_ ** _have to see me like this?!_

"Yang, what's wrong?"

She felt strong, safe arms wrap around her and pull her close, and she turned and buried her face in the crook of Blake's neck as all the shattered pieces she'd been fighting so hard to hold together fell apart in the arms of her partner.

"Hey, easy," Blake cooed, hugging her tightly and gently rocking her back and forth. "It's okay, Sunshine. I've got you. It'll be okay."

Yang shook her head. It _wasn't_ okay. It wasn't going to _be_ okay. Everything hurt. She clutched at the fabric of Blake's dress, hating herself for falling apart like this. Hating herself for the tears that flooded her cheeks and soaked into Blake's shoulder. Hating herself for ruining Blake's evening.

"I'm here, Yang," Blake continued to murmur softly. "You're not alone. I won't leave you until you're okay, okay? I promise."

Yang could only nod. She wasn't strong enough to turn Blake away.

"Is this about the dance?" Blake asked softly.

Yang nodded, still crying into Blake's shoulder.

"Did something go wrong with your date?"

"I- I don't have a date!" Yang sobbed. "The girl I wanted to go with, came with someone else!"

"Oh, Yang!" Yang felt Blake's arms tighten around her, and Blake began to rock them back and forth again. "That's awful! I'm so sorry that happened to you!"

Yang desperately wished that she could tell Blake everything. That she could admit her feelings, and finally be free from hiding, but she knew she couldn't. She could only pretend that the cause of her heartache _wasn't_ the very woman holding her in her arms. "I- I'm happy that she's happy," she choked, "but…" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head against Blake's shoulder as a fresh wave of heartache overwhelmed her.

"It hurts that you can't be with her," Blake finished softly. "I know, Sunshine. But there's lots of other people out there. And anyone would be lucky to have you."

"But I don't _want_ anyone!" Yang wailed. "I just want _her!_ " She felt Blake turn to nuzzle affectionately against her temple, before firmly pressing her forehead against it. The faunus's steady breaths ghosted over Yang's ear, and she focused on the comforting pressure of Blake's forehead against the side of her skull. "She's so perfect," Yang wept. "I love her more than I ever thought I could love anybody! How can I ever be happy with anyone else when they'll never be _her?_ "

"I know it feels like she's the only one," Blake cooed into her ear. "But _trust_ me when I say that there's _lots_ of other people out there who can make you feel just as good! Maybe even better! You said you never thought you could love anyone this much, but, doesn't that mean you might be able to love someone even _more_ , and you just don't know it yet?"

Yang choked out another sob against Blake's shoulder. She _knew_ she needed to get over Blake. But try though she might, she simply couldn't imagine ever being happy with anyone else. "Ca-can you play with my hair?" She whimpered, so quietly she wasn't even sure she'd said it aloud.

"I thought you hated it when people touched your hair?" Blake asked softly.

"I… I like it when _you_ do it," Yang sniffled. She felt Blake's fingers gently begin to stroke through her hair, lightly scratching her scalp before running all the way down to the end and returning to begin again. It was immensely comforting, allowing herself to be cared for by someone she trusted and loved so deeply. Slowly, her whimpering and sniffling died down, and eventually she pulled away to see Blake gazing at her with a care and adoration that nearly made her fall apart all over again.

"There she is," Blake said softly. "You feeling better?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah. I… Thank you."

Blake blinked slowly at her, a gentle smile touching her lips. "Anytime, Yang. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Yang shook her head. "You've done more than you know." She gently pulled away from Blake, and the faunus released her without struggle. "You go enjoy the rest of your night," she said, gazing into Blake's eyes and smiling warmly. "I'll be okay."

Blake nodded. "If you ever need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask." She turned and began to walk back inside, pausing at the door and looking back over her shoulder. "And Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"I think… whoever you wind up with, is going to be one of the luckiest people in all of Remnant." There was something almost resembling timidness in Blake's voice, but the expression she gave was so genuine that Yang felt fresh tears start to well up in her eyes. "I'll see you back at the room."

As Blake disappeared back inside, Yang's heart felt a thousand times lighter. She wasn't sure why, but somehow, as she gazed out over the moonlit campus, she _knew_ that someday she'd have her happily ever after with a woman every bit as perfect as Blake.

And in a way?

She was right.


	6. Insecurity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> VOLUME 8 CHAPTER 4 SPOILERS AHEAD
> 
> After finally reuniting with the others, Blake discovers that some of Yang's old insecurities haven't healed as well as she'd thought

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I wrote Chapter 4 of this fic, I wasn't expecting it to kinda-sorta come true in Chapter 4 of the show. But I figured, "heck, if I *do* have some sort of weird canon-manifesting semblance, why not make a little more use of it?"
> 
> So I went and wrote this little one-shot. Here's hoping!

Blake was the last one out of the airship, and as she stepped out she saw Yang and Ruby embracing. Ren had already broken down over Nora's scars, and Jaune looked incredibly tired. Really, they _all_ looked tired. Jaune had filled them in on what had happened to Oscar as soon as their scrolls were back in range, but it didn't make her any less anxious not to see him there. Still, as much as Blake was worried about Oscar, there was a part of herself she was worried about too.

As soon as Ruby stepped away from Yang, Blake called out for her and rushed in, wrapping Yang up in her arms. But her heart dropped when Yang just froze. Quickly, Blake pulled away. "Yang?" She asked hesitantly, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Yang lied. "I'm fine. It's just… a lot has happened."

"I get that," Blake agreed. She put her hand on Yang's shoulder, feeling a pit of panic start to form in her stomach when Yang flinched away. "Yang…?" Blake croaked, her voice suddenly failing her as dread filled her veins. "Are… are we okay?"

"Can we... talk?" Yang asked quietly, and she seemed nearly as terrified as Blake felt. "Alone?"

"Y-yeah," Blake barely managed to say. "Of course."

Blake's heart pounded painfully the entire time as she followed Yang to a quiet corner, anxiety making her stomach turn. Even after Yang stopped, she still refused to look at her. Blake felt tears start to prick at her eyes. "Yang…?" She choked out, unable to stop her voice from cracking.

Yang sighed, and when she spoke, her voice was thick and wavering. "Do you… think less of me now?"

The question caught Blake so off guard she nearly physically staggered. "Do I what??" She asked, utterly bewildered.

Yang finally looked up at her, and her lilac eyes almost seemed to have faded to a blue-gray as tears spilled over her cheeks. "Do you think less of me for not helping with Amity?" She choked, her voice cracking and breaking in a way Blake had never heard before. "Do you think I don't care because I saw things differently?" It wasn't a rhetorical question, it was a genuine insecurity and _fear_ that Blake didn't even know Yang was capable of. "Did I break our promise by leaving without saying goodbye? Do you not want me anymore after what I did? Do you think… do you think I don't love you?" The last question was spoken so quietly that Blake couldn't have even heard it if not for her faunus ears, and as Blake's eyes widened and she took a step back in shock, Yang broke down into sobbing, burying her face in her hands as her shoulders shook violently.

Blake felt tears run down her own cheeks, and she stepped forward, pressing herself against her partner. "Yang," she said softly, even as her own voice broke, and she pressed her hands inside of Yang's, cradling the blonde's cheeks and gently tilting her head back up to look at her in the eyes. " _No_."

She leaned forward, gently guiding Yang's face towards her own. She watched as Yang's eyes went wide, then fluttered closed, all while she offered no resistance, and Blake closed the gap, pressing their lips together as she closed her eyes as well. Yang's lips tasted salty from tears, they were chapped and dry from the cold, and the blonde's entire body shook as sobs continued to force their way out of her, but Blake kept them locked to hers. She felt Yang's hands wrap hesitantly around her waist, and she pressed further against Yang's body, leaving no room for doubt. She could have stayed like that forever, and it seemed as if Yang could have as well, but eventually Blake pulled back, already mourning the loss of contact. She locked eyes with Yang once more.

"I love you too."


End file.
